Nokia Here: high-level mapping for Android and iOS

Nokia Here: high-level mapping for Android and iOS

Image 1: Nokia Here: high level mapping for Android and iOSNokia held yesterday, Tuesday, November 13, a conference about the future of its mapping offers. Called Here, “Ici” in English, the cartography of Nokia becomes accessible to all, regardless of the terminal used. First, thanks to an online map available on a website in HTML5, then in the form of applications for Nokia phones, obviously, but also soon on Android, iOS or Firefox OS.

Already owner of Navteq since 2008, Nokia has also announced the acquisition of Earthmine, a company that, like Google cars, photographs streets 360 degrees using vehicles to index them. The Finnish firm also announced a partnership with Mozilla for his expertise on HTML5. “The combination of Firefox OS and Here’s localization platform offers great possibilities for mobile application developers who would like to create amazing experiences for users”, commented Jay Sullivan, vice president of products for the foundation Mozilla.

A major competitor for Google

Up to now essential in the field of cartography and some geolocation, Google can now see Nokia as a real competitor in a field so sensitive that even Apple has burned its wings. “With Here, we can extend our 20 years of geolocation experience to other devices and operating systems beyond Nokia”, thus declared Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia.

All the functionalities are not yet integrated but the map of Manhattan allows to have a broad point of view on the possibilities offered by Here and the competition to which Google will now face. Satellite views and plans, obviously, but also 3D mapping or street photography are here.